PRESS RELEASE: Three Veterans Groups Object to Mayor Lionel Rivera's Anti-Army Slur
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Press Conference
Colorado Springs City Hall
Tuesday, November 8, 2005
12:30 PM
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EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Dave Therault
719-459-6471
dtherault@earthlink.net
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Representatives of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, and Vietnam Veterans Against the War will hold a press conference on Tuesday, November 8 at 12:30 PM on the steps of Colorado Springs City Hall. The veterans also plan to address Mayor Lionel Rivera and City Council during the 1:00 PM council meeting.
The veterans are speaking in reaction to a statement issued by Rivera, in which he referred to anti-war groups as being "anti-Army". Former Army National Guard Sgt. Kelly Dougherty, Co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War, who will speak at today's press conference, said, "Mayor Rivera's assertion that those who are opposed to the war in Iraq are by default anti-army, is not only a poorly thought-out statement, but also insulting and disrespectful to the many veterans and soldiers who have proudly served their country."
Rivera's remarks were part of an apology he had made to Steve Robinson and Georg-Andreas (Andrew) Pogany, organizers of Operation Just One, a group assisting veterans and soldiers with free mental health care. The Gazette reported on October 12 that Rivera had originally referred to the organizers of the program as "anti-Army", saying, “It’s difficult to separate the service providers who would volunteer their time to help soldiers and the people who organize this -- Steve Robinson and Andrew Pogany.”
In his subsequent apology, Rivera said, “I apologize for mistakenly associating you with the anti-war movement and stating you oppose the war and are anti-Army.”
Terry Leichner, of the Denver Chapter of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, says that he is saddened that Rivera chooses to separate concerned veterans into acceptable and unacceptable camps on the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "Veterans peace and justice groups have never made a distinction between support or dissent on war in their many years of veteran advocacy," he said. "We take exception to his inference we are anti-troop and anti-military."
Rivera first came out in support of Operation Just One on September 29, then reversed his position later that day. His anti-Army accusation against Operation Just One came on October 11, after about a dozen protesters, including veterans, had spoken to him in support of the community outreach organization. In his response in the council chambers to the protesters' statements, Rivera took issue with Robinson and Pogany for what he called their "second agenda...to criticize the Army, their programs, and the way they handle soldiers coming back from combat." Robinson's group, National Gulf War Resource Center, backs Operation Just One, and is an Army watchdog group which is often critical of the Army's programs for combat operational stress and PTSD.
Leichner, who is a psychiatric nurse with an extensive background in the treatment of PTSD, says that being critical of the Army's mental health care systems is not an anti-Army stance. "It’s clear that the VA and the military mental health systems are overburdened and unable to provide timely care for returning soldiers," he said. "This isn’t an indictment of either system but a true observation."
In his apology, Rivera backed away from his earlier statements and said that his issue is now with the anti-war position of those who protested on October 11. “I made the mistake of associating you as an organizer of the group of protesters who showed up at City Hall on Oct. 11 to express their views about me and on Operation Just One,” Rivera wrote in an email to Robinson.
Bill Durland, of Veterans for Peace, says that the program should stand on its own merits. "It should not be defeated by prejudicial stigmas attached to it, or to those supporting it," he said. "We should keep our eyes on the prize, and not let any personal bias or pettiness defeat these efforts."
BACKGROUND:
Rivera sorry for calling vet group anti-war
By TOM ROEDER THE GAZETTE
October 29, 2005
--------------------------30---------------------------
========
ALL THRESHING MACHINE POSTS ON MAYOR LIONEL RIVERA
========
Press Conference
Colorado Springs City Hall
Tuesday, November 8, 2005
12:30 PM
=========================
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Dave Therault
719-459-6471
dtherault@earthlink.net
=========================
Representatives of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, and Vietnam Veterans Against the War will hold a press conference on Tuesday, November 8 at 12:30 PM on the steps of Colorado Springs City Hall. The veterans also plan to address Mayor Lionel Rivera and City Council during the 1:00 PM council meeting.
The veterans are speaking in reaction to a statement issued by Rivera, in which he referred to anti-war groups as being "anti-Army". Former Army National Guard Sgt. Kelly Dougherty, Co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War, who will speak at today's press conference, said, "Mayor Rivera's assertion that those who are opposed to the war in Iraq are by default anti-army, is not only a poorly thought-out statement, but also insulting and disrespectful to the many veterans and soldiers who have proudly served their country."
Rivera's remarks were part of an apology he had made to Steve Robinson and Georg-Andreas (Andrew) Pogany, organizers of Operation Just One, a group assisting veterans and soldiers with free mental health care. The Gazette reported on October 12 that Rivera had originally referred to the organizers of the program as "anti-Army", saying, “It’s difficult to separate the service providers who would volunteer their time to help soldiers and the people who organize this -- Steve Robinson and Andrew Pogany.”
In his subsequent apology, Rivera said, “I apologize for mistakenly associating you with the anti-war movement and stating you oppose the war and are anti-Army.”
Terry Leichner, of the Denver Chapter of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, says that he is saddened that Rivera chooses to separate concerned veterans into acceptable and unacceptable camps on the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "Veterans peace and justice groups have never made a distinction between support or dissent on war in their many years of veteran advocacy," he said. "We take exception to his inference we are anti-troop and anti-military."
Rivera first came out in support of Operation Just One on September 29, then reversed his position later that day. His anti-Army accusation against Operation Just One came on October 11, after about a dozen protesters, including veterans, had spoken to him in support of the community outreach organization. In his response in the council chambers to the protesters' statements, Rivera took issue with Robinson and Pogany for what he called their "second agenda...to criticize the Army, their programs, and the way they handle soldiers coming back from combat." Robinson's group, National Gulf War Resource Center, backs Operation Just One, and is an Army watchdog group which is often critical of the Army's programs for combat operational stress and PTSD.
Leichner, who is a psychiatric nurse with an extensive background in the treatment of PTSD, says that being critical of the Army's mental health care systems is not an anti-Army stance. "It’s clear that the VA and the military mental health systems are overburdened and unable to provide timely care for returning soldiers," he said. "This isn’t an indictment of either system but a true observation."
In his apology, Rivera backed away from his earlier statements and said that his issue is now with the anti-war position of those who protested on October 11. “I made the mistake of associating you as an organizer of the group of protesters who showed up at City Hall on Oct. 11 to express their views about me and on Operation Just One,” Rivera wrote in an email to Robinson.
Bill Durland, of Veterans for Peace, says that the program should stand on its own merits. "It should not be defeated by prejudicial stigmas attached to it, or to those supporting it," he said. "We should keep our eyes on the prize, and not let any personal bias or pettiness defeat these efforts."
BACKGROUND:
Rivera sorry for calling vet group anti-war
By TOM ROEDER THE GAZETTE
October 29, 2005
--------------------------30---------------------------
========
ALL THRESHING MACHINE POSTS ON MAYOR LIONEL RIVERA
========
posted by Threshing Machine | 8:07 AM
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